The department of Charente is located in the centre-west of France and is part of the Poitou-Charentes region along with Deux Sevres, Charente Maritime and the Vienne department.

Its name as is often the case comes from the river Charente which snakes through the department. Two local dialects are spoken in the area, Saintongeais in the west and Occitan to the east.

Charente is a thriving department for several reasons, Cognac production is one of the most interesting and profitable industries, the export level of approx. 95% is a success, the consumption in France being only 5% (some say they keep the best 5% in France!).

The department has many typical towns, Angouleme in the south east for example hosts an international festival that attracts hundreds of visitors and is not to be missed.

The region is popular with hikers, bikers and nature lovers who like to discover the woodlands, lakes and streams that are part of this amazing landscape.

We at Cle France specialise in Property for sale in France through our network of Agents and French Registered High Street Estate Agents. We have sold thousands of houses for sale in France over the years and have helped many find and buy their dream home in France.

We can also help you with everything to do with buying a house in France including getting a mortgage, organising currency exchange, renovation advice, property surveys, planning permission, French translation, opening a bank account and everything to do with French property sales.

All our prices are quoted as FAI (agency fees included) unless otherwise stated and 'notaire' fees are around 7% (on average) but feel free to ask us for an exact amount on any particular French property for sale you are interested in.

Indeed please feel free to use the 'MAKE AN ENQUIRY' tab above to ask us any questions you have about buying a property in France. Our UK based enquiry office and staff will guide you through the entire buying process step by step from your first contact right up to taking ownership and beyond, all free of charge.

So when you buy through Cle France you can be confident that you are paying no more than the standard commission rates you would pay anyway, but you have the added benefit of a bi-lingual support team.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk